ir Gifts
Chapter 6
I was furious. I argued with my mother for a long time, but she still insisted that Luke should take care of me.
When I was pregnant, he had been a useless parasite. Now that I was abroad, he was supposed to care for me.
It was as if without a husband or a man, I couldn’t accomplish anything.
I told my mom that Luke didn’t matter to me. In fact, life was better without him.
I had always relied on myself to get through life and deal with people at work. I had never depended on Luke.
Even back when we were in the country, all I wanted from him was a genuine heart.
I kept up my regular commute, ignoring his daily greetings.
Luke had no shame. When his usual methods failed to get my attention, he tried other tricks.
One weekend, I got a call from my mom.
She said, “Luke is sick. You should go visit him in the hospital.”
I looked out at the rain, which had been falling for three days
“He’s well enough to call you, so it’s not that serious,” I replied.
“Why are you so cold–hearted? He’s your husband. Even if you hate him, you should have some old feelings left. Why be so harsh?” she retorted.
I laughed, “I don’t hate him, but I treat him like a stranger. Would you care about a stranger?
“Remember when I nearly died on the operating table? I discharged myself. What’s the big deal?”
My mom paused for a long time before she managed to say, “Well, you’re still wrong.”
I couldn’t stand her moralistic guilt–tripping, so I brushed her off and hung up the phone.
But my mom wasn’t the only one pressuring me. There was also my mother–in–law.
She cried over the phone, cursing me repeatedly. The constant barrage gave me a headache, and I reluctantly agreed to go to the hospital.
After finding out the room number, I went to look for him.
Among a group of patients, some with downcast faces and others numb with pain, only Luke seemed in good spirits. He was lying in bed, playing on his phone.
Chapter 6
I was speechless. It was exactly as I expected–just an act.
I snapped a photo to make it look like I’d checked in on him.
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Just as I planned to leave, he called out, “Amy? You came to see me, didn’t you? I knew you still cared about me.”
I gave him a flat look and turned to leave.
He shouted, “Amy, aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my mom how you’re treating me?”
He had the nerve to bring that up.
I walked over to his bed and glanced at the IV drip. It was just ordinary cold medicine.
I scoffed, “So, what? Are you going to blame me for not caring, now that you’re sick from your drama? Do you want to complain to your mom?
“Go ahead. Let her fly over and pamper you like a baby.”
Luke blushed with embarrassment.
He argued, “I just want to make things right with you. You’re not responding to me, so I had no choice but to do this.
“I invited you to go on a date with me yesterday, and you left me outside all night. I caught this cold in the rain.”
Chapter 6
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I was getting impatient. “You chose to stand in the rain for your little performance. How does that involve me?
“I told you to go home. I did my part.”
Luke looked hurt.
He said, “I stood in the most obvious spot, thinking you would see me when you got home.”
I hadn’t seen him at all.
I thought about how I was still trapped in a marriage with this overgrown child and felt deeply powerless.
I sighed, “Luke, this illness wasn’t worth it. You’ve played this drama long enough.
“A marriage isn’t something that can be sustained just by each side sacrificing for the other.
“If you don’t work, how much longer do you think you can hold
on?”
